BY FRAN ENDICOTT MILLER

Wine seems to run through the veins of Tracie Roesbery and her brother Drew Nenow (pictured above with wife Andie and their daughter) who grew up shadowing within the vineyards various wine-making family members. Father Robert was proprietor of Robert Nenow Winery, and the siblings’ aunt and uncle, Lisa Drinkward and Les Behrens, are proprietors of Behrens Family Wines on Spring Mountain in Napa. It was only natural that the duo try their own hands at creating and launching their own wine brand, Nenow Family Wines.

Located in Paso Robles, with a few roots firmly planted in the East Bay, the winery is a true family affair spearheaded by Drew and his wife Andie who live in Paso Robles, and Tracie and her husband Mike Roesbery who live in Walnut Creek. Nenow Family Wines features thoughtfully sourced Rhone-style varietals. The portfolio includes a Viognier, GSM blend, Grenache, and Syrah, sourced from Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County vineyards dedicated to quality over quantity. Each Nenow Family Wine is beautifully bottled with strikingly-designed labels.

Nenow Family Wines began to take shape in 2014 when the two families confessed a shared dream of starting their own label. Drew, then a recent graduate from Cal Poly with a BS in enology and a minor in agribusiness, cut his teeth in the wine industry with jobs at Turley Wine Cellars and Villa San Juliette in Paso Robles before taking the lead winemaking role at Paso’s ONX Estate Winery, a marquee tenant at Paso’s popular Tin City makers market. Tracie, who with husband Mike owns and operates Roesbery Car Care in Walnut Creek, had the marketing and sales know-how.

Drew Nenow

With the support of many family members, countless brainstorming sessions, and a lot of hard work, the two families purchased their first grapes in 2017 and Nenow Family Wines was born. Drew and Andie oversee day-to-day operations of the winery, and Tracie and Mike handle the business side. The winery’s official launch was this spring, and a tasting room with an airy outdoor patio is slated to open August 29. 

For those who can’t make it to the winery, the Family Club is the best way to procure their small batch, hard to find wine releases, such as their 2018 ‘The Tightrope,’ a weighty and succulent Viognier featuring expressive flavors of limoncello, lychee, and banana cream, or the 2017 ‘Elevens,’ a well-balanced Grenache blend showcasing a fruit concentration of strawberries, pomegranates, and black cherries, and the 2017 Righetti Ranch Grenache, a silky smooth wine with fresh flavors of cranberries, raspberries, and red delicious apples. 

Six and 12 bottle club options provide first dibs on brand new releases, as well as wines not sold to the public. Membership also allows for free tastings at the winery, and access to club-only events.